The present invention relates to a method in which, after the surface of a plate-shaped material is subjected to cleaning, developing or plating by using liquid, the liquid remaining on the surface of the plate-shaped material is quickly and positively removed.
The term "plate-shaped material" as used herein is primarily intended to mean a metal plate of iron, aluminum, copper or the like. However, it should be noted that plate-shaped material can also include a plastic sheet or the like. When the surface of the plate-shaped material is subjected to cleaning, developing or a plating treatment (hereinafter referred to as "liquid surface treatment", when applicable) using an appropriate liquid, heretofore the liquid remaining on the surface of the plate-shaped material has been removed using a squeeze roller or an air knife.
However, the squeeze roller is disadvantageous in that, since the remaining liquid is removed by bringing the squeeze roller into contact with the treated surface of the plate-shaped material, depending on the degree of contact and the roller's surface roughness, the treated surface may be damaged or the removed liquid may be returned to the surface of the plate-shaped material.
The air knife is also disadvantageous in that, as the quantity of liquid applied to the plate-shaped material is increased, it is necessary to increase the air quantity and the pressure of the air knife, and accordingly the liquid is liable to be strongly scattered. If the liquid is a solvent, such scattering may result in a health and/or fire hazard. Also, when the air knife is used, the angle of conveyance of the plate-shaped material is limited. When the plate-shaped material passes through the impact region of the air knife horizontally or slightly downwardly, it is difficult to move or remove the liquid which has been scraped off the plate-shaped material and pooled near the impact region, thus lowering the liquid removing efficiency.
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a liquid removing method in which the above-described difficulties accompanying a conventional liquid removing method have been eliminated, and the liquid remaining on the plate-shaped material can be removed quickly and positively.